Picoreview: August: Osage County

[mizkit]

Picoreview: August: Osage County is a story about a wildly dysfunctional family, with an absolutely dreadful matriarch played by Meryl Streep and-primarily, although really not at all singularly-her personal war with her oldest daughter, played by Julia Roberts. The real skill of the performances is that although many of the characters are just

Comments

[tersa]

Hsm. When I saw my first ad for that movie, I thought, "Good God, everyone is in it" but I didn't have a real desire to see it.

Your review may tip it into the 'Netflix rental' pile.

[mizkit]

Everyone *is* in it, and everyone is *good* in it. I really do think it's worth seeing, even if they're all awful people. :)

[kevenn]

I freaking LOVED this movie! I saw the play on Broadway starring Estelle Parsons (Roseanne's mom on the TV show) as Violet, the part played by Meryl Streep, and she was MAGNIFICENT! I had to see the touring cast because Estelle Parsons wouldn't let the role go, and I had to see her in it again.

I was worried that the movie would white-wash the play, but I think it did a fantastic job at capturing the intensity of the play. And yeah, Julia Roberts was really EXCELLENT in the film. And I thought Juliette Lewis was really great as well. It's definitely one I will be owning.

[mizkit]

I can't blame her for not wanting to let the part go. It's the role of a lifetime (unless you're Meryl Streep, in which case it's merely one of about twenty roles of a lifetime @.@ :)). I'm *enormously* envious that you got to see the stage play, and extremely pleased to hear that you, having seen both, thought the film did the play justice.

I don't know what it is about Juliette Lewis that sets me off (I'm not crazy about any of the family, really), but she can act, and she was really very good in the role. Cool. :)

[kevenn]

Yes, the play develops the relationship between Johnna & Jean, so that her defending her makes even more sense.

But yeah, that role of Violet is the role of a lifetime! There's really not a bad role in the whole show...maybe the sheriff - who actually comes back in the last act or so. I felt in the play, the time that Barbara stays with her mother taking care of her by herself with none of the other family there is a lot longer. She begins to date the sheriff guy again and try to move on with her life after her husband takes her daughter back home. I understand why they trimmed this in the movie, because they wanted the focus to be more on the relationship between Violet and Barbara.

I don't have any real opinions of Juliette Lewis, but she was good in this. :

[mizkit]

Oh wow. That's a completely different ending than what the movie implies.